January 4
1800s *1884: **The newly organized Union League changes its name to the Eastern League to avoid confusion with the new Union Association. The EL continues today as the Triple-A International League. **Pitcher Larry Corcoran, who had signed with the Chicago/Pittsburgh team of the outlaw Union Association, breaks his contract to re-sign with his old club, the Chicago White Stockings of the National League. *1886 - Having waited in vain for the $1,000 check from the Baltimore Orioles club, St. Louis Browns owner Chris Von Der Ahe takes $1,000 from the Pittsburgh Alleghenys for the rights to Sam Barkley, ignoring the fact that the infielder has already signed with the Orioles. *1889 - The Tourists play their final game in Australia, with the Chicagos winning, 5–0. *1896 - A portion of the fence surrounding the Polo Grounds blows down in a fierce storm. 1900s-1910s *1901 - The Baltimore American League club incorporates, with John McGraw as manager and part owner. *1902 - Pitcher Bill Dinneen, winner of 36 games for the Boston Beaneaters (NL) in the past two years, signs with the rival Boston Somersets (AL), for whom he will win 20 or more for the next three years. *1904 - The New York Highlanders (AL) announce plans to play on Sundays at Ridgewood Park on Long Island, but the Brooklyn Superbas (NL) objects. Sunday games are legal in Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati. *1915 - Infielder Hans Lobert, well known as the "fastest man" in the National League, is traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Giants for pitcher Al Demaree, infielder Milt Stock, and catcher Bert Adams. The speedster will injure his knee in a preseason game at West Point. *1916 - The St. Louis Browns are the first of two ML franchises awarded to Federal League owners. Philip de Catesby Ball, ice-manufacturing tycoon and principal stockholder of the Feds' St. Louis Terriers, pays a reported $525,000 for the Browns and replaces manager Branch Rickey with his own Fielder Jones. *1918 - The Chicago Cubs acquire Boston Braves pitcher Lefty Tyler in exchange for Larry Doyle, Art Wilson and $15,000. Tyler will win 19 games for the Cubs this year. 1920s-1930s *1928 - The New York Yankees buy SS Lyn Lary and IF Jimmy Reese from the Oakland Oaks (PCL) for a reported $150,000. *1932: **The Great Depression deepens, and American League costs are cut by dropping an umpire from the AL staff of 11. **Casey Stengel returns from exile in the minor leagues to become coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers. *1936 - As the second part of the December 10 deal for Jimmie Foxx, the Boston Red Sox get Doc Cramer and Eric McNair from the Philadelphia Athletics for Hank Johnson, Al Niemiec, and $75,000. Even with the free spending, and the presence of 20-game winners Wes Ferrell and Lefty Grove, Boston will finish 6th in 1936. However, in six-plus season with the Sox Foxx will hit 222 home runs, bats .300 five times, and is an All-Star six times. 1940s-1950s *1940 - In a trade of pitchers, the Cincinnati Reds send Lee Grissom to the New York Yankees for Joe Beggs, who had to clear waivers from all seven American League teams. This is due to the new rule voted last month barring the AL pennant winner (read Yankees) from any trades within the league. Beggs will go 12–3 for the Reds, while Grissom will be sold to the Dodgers on May 15. *1942 - Rogers Hornsby becomes the 14th player selected to the Hall of Fame, getting 78 percent of the vote (Frank Chance 58% and Rube Waddell 54% miss out). His offensive numbers rival those of any player before or since. Hornsby and Ted Williams are the only players to win the Triple Crown twice, and Hornsby' s .424 mark in 1924 is the highest National League batting average in the 20th century. *1943 - A wartime tone for the season is set when Red Ruffing, just months short of his 38th birthday, and minus four toes, is drafted into the Army Air Corp. *1957 - The Brooklyn Dodgers buy a 44-passenger twin-engine airplane for $775,000, which they will use to transport the club during the season. The Dodgers are the first ML team to own their own plane. 1960s-1980s *1969 - Attorney Jack Reynolds, administrator of the new umpires union, says an economic agreement has been worked out between the American League and umpires that will avert a strike in 1969. *1976 - Executives of the IABA (International Amateur Baseball Association) meet in Mexico City to end a long-standing feud between delegations, creating in the process a new organization named the Asociación Internacional de Béisbol Amateur. With the United States returning to the IABA fold, after a several-year absence, the first AINBA World Championships are scheduled for Cartagena, Colombia. Manuel González Guerra of Cuba is named the first AINBA president. *1977 - Mary Shane is hired by the Chicago White Sox as the first woman TV play-by-play announcer. 1990s *1993 - Free agent outfielder Lonnie Smith is signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. *1994: **The Chicago White Sox sign free agent OF Ellis Burks and the Atlanta Braves sign free agent IF Bill Pecota. *1995 - Five bills aimed at ending the MLB strike are introduced into US Congress. *1997 - The Texas Rangers sign free agent OF Mike Devereaux. *1998 - Toronto Blue Jays catcher Benito Santiago is injured when he loses control of the car he is driving and crashes into a tree in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Toronto also loses first baseman Carlos Delgado to a shoulder injury which he sustains while diving for a ball in a game in Puerto Rico. He will be out until late April. 2000s *2000 - San Diego Padres pitcher Carlton Loewer suffers a broken leg after falling from a tree while hunting. At the very least, he will miss spring training. While pitching for the Phillies last year, Loewer missed almost four months due to a stress fracture in his arm, an injury that doctors say could easily have resulted in a situation in which the arm broke while he was throwing a pitch. *2001 - Free agent pitcher Ismael Valdéz is signed by the Angels. *2002 **In spite of the franchise's uncertain future due to possible contraction, Ron Gardenhire is named to replace Tom Kelly as the Minnesota Twins manager. The Twins' third base coach is given a two-year pact to pilot the team. **The St. Louis Cardinals announce the team has agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal with starting pitcher Matt Morris. The 27-year-old right-hander, who missed all of the 1999 season due elbow surgery, finished third in the Cy Young Award balloting this year after going 22-8 with a 3.16 ERA. **The Cleveland Indians sign pitcher Matthew Haynes, a participant in major league's first-ever Australian Baseball Academy, which included the best 60 players from Down Under. The 6-3, 185-pound 18-year-old, is a right-hander who the Indians predict will be a starter in the major leagues. **Tired of the losing, Tony Tavares resigns as president of the Anaheim Angels. The 52-year old executive, who until today also was the chairman of the Mighty Ducks, became Anaheim's president after Disney bought the team from Jackie Autry in 1996. **The Colorado Rockies agree to terms with free agent catcher Tony Eusebio on a one-year contract. *2005 - Wade Boggs, a five-time batting champion, and Ryne Sandberg, a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner at second base, are elected to the Hall of Fame. Boggs becomes the 41st player elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, while receiving 474 of the record number of 516 votes cast (92%). Sandberg receives 393 votes, six more that the needed number. Relief pitchers Bruce Sutter (66.7%) and Goose Gossage (55%), and outfielders Jim Rice (59.5%) and Andre Dawson (52%), are the only other players to be named on at least half of the ballots cast. *2006: **Free agent outfielder Preston Wilson signed a one-year $4 million contract with the Houston Astros including a three-year club option that could extend the deal through the 2009 season. **The minimum salary for players in the major leagues is rising $9,000 this year to $327,000. **Pitcher Ryan Vogelsong agreed to a $555,000, one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Births *1869 - Tommy Corcoran, infielder (d. 1960) *1884 - Al Bridwell, infielder (d. 1969) *1890 - Ossie Vitt, infielder (d. 1963) *1908 - George Selkirk, All-Star outfielder (d. 1987) *1914 - Herman Franks, player and manager *1925 - Tom Gorman, pitcher *1929 - Corky Valentine, pitcher (d. 2005) *1930 - Don McMahon, All-Star pitcher (d. 1987) *1933 - Ray Monzant, pitcher *1944 - Tito Fuentes, infielder *1944 - Charlie Manuel, manager *1960 - Paul Gibson, pitcher *1962 - Jay Tibbs, pitcher *1963 - Daryl Boston, outfielder *1976 - Ted Lilly, All-Star pitcher *1978 - Willie Martínez, pitcher *1984 - Scott Sizemore, infielder Deaths *1924 - John Peters, infielder (b. 1850) *1931 - Roger Connor, Hall of Fame first baseman (b. 1857) *1990 - Bobby Balcena, outfielder (b. 1925) *1994 - Billy Sullivan, catcher/infielder (b. 1910) *1995 - Harry Gumbert, pitcher (b. 1909) *2000 - John Milner, first baseman/outfielder (b. 1949)